We all agree that judicial vacancies are an impediment to justice. But your July 4 editorial, “No judge, no justice,” asking me and Sen. Ted Cruz to “pick up the pace” on recommendations omits key facts about federal judicial vacancies in Texas and glosses over the role that Democrats play in judicial nominations.

Since President Barack Obama took office, he has nominated, and the Senate has confirmed, six nominees to fill vacancies in Texas, all of whom I recommended. So far this year, a bipartisan vetting process resulted in the confirmation of Judge Gregg Costa to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit and the recent White House nomination of three excellent individuals to Texas district courts.

Yet Democrats, who determine the Senate’s schedule, hardly prioritize filling needed judgeships with the highest-caliber nominees. For example, Democrats spent weeks filling the D.C. Circuit Court (the court with the lowest caseload in the nation) with political partisans, but many months just to confirm Judge Costa, a highly qualified consensus nominee.

I will continue to work in good faith with Sen. Cruz, using the bipartisan Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee, to recommended highly qualified judges, but Democrats must be willing to do their part.